USA: KOSOVO CRISIS SENATE HEARING

(15 Apr 1999) English/Nat
Bill Clinton's Defence team has been is making its way around Capitol Hill, Thursday, in an effort to maintain political support for NATO air strikes.
The Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of State and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs all went before congressional committees on Thursday, arguing the administration's case.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defence Secretary William Cohen made an impassioned defense of the NATO air strikes, despite what he called a \"tragic accident.\"
Cohen told the Senate panel that a NATO pilot apparently bombed vehicle carrying refugees in Kosovo yesterday.
But he said it was done under \"extraordinary circumstances,\" saying the plane had come under attack from Serb air defences.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"It has been confirmed by NATO that an error did in fact occur, but it was under extraordinary circumstances with the kind of stress placed on pilots that I think we have to take into account. The very fact that you've got pilots who are travelling four or five hundred or perhaps even in excess of the speed of sound having to make split second determinations under very extraordinary circumstances where they are being fired at
SUPER CAPTION: William Cohen, US Defence Secretary
Cohen expressed profound regret for the civilian casualties, adding American forces do all they can to reduce the risks to innocent human beings.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"We go to extraordinary lengths to reduce the risks to innocent civilians. I don't think any other nation or combination of democracies would consider going through what we go through in the way of planning and training and exercising every conceivable precaution in order to reduce harming innocent civilians and we are very proud of that. It may be the source of criticism by some saying that we shouldn't take this into account but one of the things that we pride ourselves upon is that we do value human life\".
SUPER CAPTION: William Cohen, US Defence Secretary
Cohen was joined at the Senate hearing by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Hugh Shelton, who reiterated the mission is not without risks.
Shelton said allied forces are operating in a very dangerous and deadly environment, and so far, NATO has been very fortunate.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"I think we have in short been very fortunate as Secretary Cohen indicated. Nonetheless I think the prospects for casualties remains very real and high.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Hugh Shelton, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
She said the flood of refugees and their brutal treatment have hardened NATO's determination against Milosevic.
And she emphasised, NATO must prevail.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"The Balkan peninsula is very important to European stability and security and since European stability and security is important to the United States, making sure that that peninsula is integrated into a Europe where there is democracy and prosperity is important to the United States.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State
The administration continues to maintain using ground troops is not under consideration, and they urged lawmakers to give the air campaign more time to work to stop Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's fight against ethnic Albanians.
Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives ​​
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...